Rotary igniter.



B. W. PIERCE.

ROTARY IGNITER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.18, 191a. RENEWED DEC. 10, 1914. 1, 1 30,628.

Patented I Mar. 2, 1915.-

' [N VE N T OR ro12 fii jjirc 6 Q his/1 l lorm I WITNESSES 16 mg? h-LL NORRIS PETERS C0. PHOTOL'THOI. WASHINGTON. D. C.

threads shown at 15 audit will, therefore,

"ROTARY IGnIrEn.

"Specification of'Le tters'Patent. Patented'Mar.2,1915.

Application filed February is, 913, seriai io. 749,271Q Renewed December 10, 1914. Serial No. 876,537.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BYRON W. PIERCE, a citizen of the United States, "residing at Appleton, in the county of Outagarnie and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements: in Rotary Igniters, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing. k

This invention relates to rotary igniters, and the principal object of the same is to provide a device which will do away with the necessity for the use of spark coils and commutator or timer now used with other types of igniters, and securingthe advance and retard of the spark throughgear mesh and securing more perfect combustionand greater efiiciency in the motor power and automatic cleaning of points of-contact.

Another object of the invention'is to provide an igniter which willfhave a comparatively small number of parts and which will be caused to operate very ef iciently.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide an igniterhaving an improved type of contact members which make the spark explode the gas in the cylinder more perfectly. k I

Another object of the invention is toprovide' an igniter which maybe easily taken apart to permit the same to be repaired.

With these and other objects in view this invention consists of certain novel combinations, constructions, and: arrangements of parts as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing ;Figure 1 is a view showingthe casing in section and the remaining portions of the igniterfin elevation. ig. 2 is a'vertical sectional view along the line 2"2, in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 1s a transverse sectional view along the line 3-3, in Fig. 1'. Fig. 4 is a transversesectional view along the line H, in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentaryview of the upper,

portion of the center pin. 7

This invention comprises a housing 10 provided with a screw cap 11 and having oppositely disposed bearings 12 through which the shaft 13 passes and which are provided with bushings 1 1 forming supports for the shaft 13. "This cover is connected with the body portion by .means of the nnr rrrc.

cess to the interior of the housing that it is i simply necessary to unscrew the cover.

Ahollow casing 16 is positioned beneath thehousing 10 and is provided with a cup 17 having a threaded upper end portion 18 which is screwed into an internallythreaded neck 19 extending from the housing 10.

This cup 17 is provided with flattened faces substance extends through thelower portion of the casing 16 and is provided with an enlarged head 22 which is positioned in,

theflojwer portion of the cup 17. A protecting-washer 23 preferably formed of ashes tosiis placed beneath the head 22, thus preventing it from being broken when the adjusting nut is tightened. Above this head 22 the're is placed a collar 2st which has its inner end portion 25 enlarged, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and which is held in spaced relation to the head 22 by a packing 26 of asbestos or any other suitable substance. A

metallic lining 27 extends through the collar 24 andprotects the collar, thus prevent ing it froinbeing broken. 1f desired a similar lining may be placed within the member 21. Agland nut 28 is screwed into the cup 17 and engages the enlarged inner end portion 25 of; the collar 24, thus forcing the same inwardly and holding the various elements in the cup in their desired position.

A stem 29 extends through the casing and is provided with an enlarged head 30 which fits into a pocket'3lformed in a beveled gear wheel 32. This gear wheelc32 meshes with a gear wheel 33 mounted upon the shaft 13 and it will, therefore, be seen that when the shaft 13 turns the igniter will be secured to operate. A pin 32 extends partially through the gear wheel. 32 and has its inner end embedded in a slot 35, thus permitting the stem 29 to slide longitudinally, but preventing independent rotary motion by the stem and gear wheel 32. A spring 36 is coiled about the upper portion of the stem beneath the head 30 and normally holds the stem in the position shown in Fig. 2. The lower end of this stem is threaded and carries a spacing ring 37 which ring holds the disk 38infspaced relation to? the "plate: 39;.

This plate'39 is held in place by the rivets 4:0 and carries the platinum points 41 which are engaged by'the' point on the arm 42 as thestem rotates. V the spring yieldably holdstheste'm'in the positienishown in F igl 2, thus permitting it to be brought into contact with the points 41, but :atthe same time permitting the point'on thearm 42 to ride over the points '41, and thus preventing the 'igniter from being prevented from rotating. The disk is held in place by a securing nut 43 which is locked upon the stem by the locking washer 4& V I

When using this device the threaded portion-20 of the ca sing is screwed into the cylinder of the'engine with its inner end eXiY 4 out portions can thenbe'replaced'by new ones and the igniter be 'assembledand put back in place. 7 '7 V 7 Having thus described the invention what is claimed asnew, is

1.,An igniter compr sing, a housing, a

casing carried by said housing, said casing being provided with an enlarged upper end portion forming a cup, :a lining of insulating, material extend ng through sa d casing "and provided with an enlarged upper end 7 portion positioned in the lowerend portion of'said cup, a protecting washer between theenlarged upper end portion of said lin-.

ing and the bottom of said cup, a col-V lar positioned in the upperportion of said cup, a protecting washerbetween said col-' lar and the inner endportion of said lining, a, gland screwed intosaid cup for holding saidcollar in place, a stem passing through said casing, acontactarm carried by said It should be'noted that] stem, aplateficarrying 'contactpoints carried .by said casing and adapted toobe engaged by said contact: armfwhen said stemisrrotated, and means for rotating said stem. f

2. ,A device. of the' character described comprising a'housing, a casing-carried by: said housing and pro\'*idedw1th.cup shape; w

upper end portion, a stem extending through'said casing, a "lining ofinsulating 'material positioned in said casing and surrounding said stem and having its inner end portion formed into an enlarged head positioned in said cup, a collarin said cup surroundlng said stem, aproteoting washer between said collar and the inner end of said lining, means for holding said collar in place, a plate carried by said casing, contact points formed upon said plate, a contact arm carried by said stem and engaging said contact points when said stem is rotated, and means for rotatingsaid stem;

3, A device of the character described comprising a casing, a stem passing through said casing and insulated therefrom, a plate carried by said, casing, contact points carried by said plate, a Contact arm carried by said stem, an enlarged head at the upper end of said'stem,said stem being provided adjacent its upper end Witha longitudinally extending slot, a gear mounted upon the upper end 7 portion of said stem and provided with a pocket" in which the enlarged head fits, a pin extending through said gear having its inner end extending into said slot for slidably' connecting said stem with said gear, and a spring surrounding said stem between the enlarged head of said stem and the bottom of the pocket formed in said gear whereby said contact arm will be normally held in a position to engage said contact points and permitted torideover the same.

7 In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature in presence of two'witnesses.

Copies of this" patentmay he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner o! fatents a 'Washington, D. 0. I a l l 

